Increase of International Marriages in the U.S.

Increase of International Marriages in the U.S.

International marriages have become rather popular in the United States. A number of individuals have taken up the dual intent K1 visa to grant their spouses entry to the United States through international marriages. The K-1 visa grants the fiancé or fiancée of a United States citizen entry to the United States. As the visa is submitted by the U.S citizen petitioner, the foreigner must marry the petitioner within 90 days of entry. If the foreign citizen does not meet this requirement, they will be required to leave the United States within 30 days. Once married, the foreign citizen can adjust their status to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States.

It should be noted that a large majority of K-1 visas applied for are approved. Statistics from 2009 show that 95% of all K-1 visas applied for in that year alone were approved. Statistically, non-immigrants admitted to the United States on a K-1 visa come mostly from Russia and Ukraine. Other countries that have notably high non-immigrants admitted to the United States though the K-1 visa are Germany, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom. Countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Poland have been identified as some of the notable countries exporting brides and in some cases grooms via the K-1 visa. Statistics also show that the large number of individuals seeking K-1 visas are young women who fall within the 18-24 demographic.

​These statistics further affirm that the number of international marriages in the United States has largely increased as more individuals use the K-1 visa to gain entry to the United States. However, over the years, the K-1 visa petition has been tightened to ensure that countries exporting brides and grooms to the United States are less able to do so. This includes a rigorous interview process designed to test the credibility of the relationship between the U.S citizen and his foreign spouse as well as further investigations into the nature of the marriage. As such, individuals will be hard-pressed to validate their relationship before USCIS officials will approve their K-1 visa application.